Dr David L Roberts
GCDC Academic Staff Affiliate
Reader in Biodiversity Conservation | School of Anthropology and Conservation
Dr David Roberts came to the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent, having spent over 8 years as an orchid specialist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where he conducted extensive fieldwork in the Western Indian Ocean islands, as well as West Africa.
At no other time has the environment and its biodiversity been in such a vulnerable state. Over-exploitation and illegal exploitation of wildlife has been significantly blamed for the decline and extinction of species. Further, wildlife trafficking is particularly pernicious as not only does it impact the environment but it also spreads corruption and fuels conflict. While bans are often seen as a solution, they can lead negative impacts on both local communities as sustainable utilisation of wildlife can have significant socio-economic benefits.
Much of my research interests focus on the wildlife trade, both legal and illegal, from local communities to the Dark Web. Current projects are focussing on or looking to focus on the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing, sustainable development of the horticultural trade in Mozambique and Georgia, sustainable development of the ornamental aquatics trade in the Solomon Islands and the role of ecotourism as a sustainable livelihood strategy is a post-ivory ban landscape in Kenya.
As such my research addresses GCRF challenge areas on(a) sustainable economies and societies, and (b) equitable access to sustainable development, as well as a number of UN Sustainable Development goals including 8.9, 11.4, 12.2 and 15.5-7.
Selected Publications
Hinsley, A., & Roberts, D. L. (2018). Assessing the extent of access and benefit sharing in the wildlife trade: lessons from horticultural orchids in Southeast Asia. Environmental conservation, 45(3), 261-268.
Robinson, J. E., Fraser, I. M., St John, F. A. V., Randrianantoandro, J. C., Andriantsimanarilafy, R. R., Razafimanahaka, J. H., Griffths, R. A., & Roberts, D. L. (2018). Wildlife supply chains in Madagascar from local collection to global export. Biological Conservation, 226, 144-152.
Robinson, J. E., Griffiths, R. A., Fraser, I. M., Raharimalala, J., Roberts, D. L., & St. John, F. A. V. (2018). Supplying the wildlife trade as a livelihood strategy in a biodiversity hotspot. Ecology and Society, 23(1).
Hinsley, A., Nuno, A., Ridout, M., St John, F. A. V., & Roberts, D. L. (2017). Estimating the extent of CITES noncompliance among traders and end‐consumers; lessons from the global orchid trade. Conservation Letters, 10(5), 602-609.
Lee, T. E., & Roberts, D. L. (2016). Dehorning rhinos as a theoretical game. Ecological Modelling, 337, 73-78.